Cargill Dow, fabric from corn

The topic of this paper is the environmental problem of marketing by Cargill Dow environmental. It argues that human beings should take advantage to make better life for a tomorrow, because the fabric from corn has many advantages considering global warming and many environmental issues today. There are three reasons for this argument. The first is that our using of fabric from corn will help us cut the use of oil. Second, using organic corn will be much better than genetically engineered, because genetically engineered crops cause harmful effects. Third, working toward eco-business will be good marketing worldwide because Cargill Dow makes corn-produced clothes cheaply and for environment impact.

The marketing department of Cargill Dow announced that they are showing fabrics called “Nature Works PLA” (Palyllatic acid), made entirely from corn. Ingeo is a trademark for the first commercially viable man-made fiber made from 100% annually renewable resources. It is the first major sportswear that was made from Ingeo, and materials are kernels of corn. They produce casual clothing for men and women. These products are eco-friendly. Ingeo is one of the good products, because it is made from a renewable resource. PLA is polylactic acid, or polylactide, which is made from a renewable resource, and it is nontoxic. PLA comes from agricultural resources, like corn, and sugar beets, and is used to make plastics, fabric, and rubber (New York Times, 2005). PLA can then be spun into Ingeo for use in textiles. Also, PLA can be completely recycled in commercial compost families, “reducing our environmental impact” (Price, 2002, para.6). Cargill Dow is launching an industrial revolution based on products that will be replaced with annually renewable ones, and also unlimited resources that will replace limited ones. Products are genetically engineered (GE) corn, designed by one of Cargill Dow’s divisions, and they are a world leader in genetic engineering. They expect to end run around the global campaign to stop genetic engineered products.

Cargill Dow is the union of two companies, which are Dow, the chemical company and Cargill Inc. They have formed a company to develop and market PLA. Their process extracts large quantities from corn and other crops and turns it into fabric and plastic (New York Times, 2000). In 1997, Dow and Cargill Inc. made plastic for fiber, formed one company, and built Cargill Dow LLC. In 2000, Cargill and Dow made plastic and packing from corn and other crops. In 2005, the name of Cargill Dow LLC was changed to Natural Work LLC (New York Times, 2005). The technology isn’t limited to apparel. Cargill Dow has plans to further “green” the marketplace with corn-based products. They make carpeting, wall panels, upholstery, interior furnishings, and outdoor fabrics.

Our using of fabric from corn will help us cut the use of oil, Cargill Dow should use organic corn, and Cargill Dow should work toward making corn-produced clothes cheaply for the environment.

First, our using of fabric from corn will help us cut the use of oil. Corn can be enjoyed in so many ways, such as grilled, boiled, and baked. On the other hand, clothes can be made from Ingeo, a material made from kernels of corn. Ingeo has been used for years in bedding like blankets, pillows, comforters, and mattress pads. In Brazil, they make everything out of sugar (Ward, 2007). Eliminating the use of oil in our clothes is a good first step. Cargill Dow uses the natural sugars in corn rather than spinning the fuzzy fabric from oil as a renewable crop. They boast of it as a limitless, “clean” product. This is a natural resource. Considering global warming and many environment issues today, using limitless products which are free of the taint of pollution and the oil industry is considerable, because the technology isn’t limited to apparel. If we advance to using those products and it is environmentally friendly, PLA can be completely recycled. This is another eco-friendly factor. Also, when they cut the use of oil in our clothes, they can manage financial risk, because oil is limited and it is not renewable. To stop using oil in our clothes is one advantage. Cargill Dow has plants to further “green” the marketplace with corn-based products including carpeting, and outdoor fabric. These products are also environmentally friendly.

Second, using organic corn is better than using genetically engineered crops. North American Grain Group for Cargill Inc. pointed out after many difficult discussions “using inadequately tested, genetically engineered organisms is not a solution to the environmental crisis” (Price, 2002, para.14). Then Cargill Dow intended to use genetically engineered corn as their source material. But, there is the issue that growing corn uses a lot of gas and pesticide. Genetically engineered crops use pesticide in the process of making them. They have to use gas, and fertilizer; also, they use pesticides and herbicides. Making genetically engineered crops has the potential to be the greatest environmental problem. For example, Minnesota Cargill is the planet’s largest producer of corn, and also India already controls about 60% of the corn market (Price, 2002); however, they take advantage to produce organic corn that is environmentally friendly. A 100% annually renewable resource is efficient, and also this is much better than using gas, fertilizer, and pesticides. When people get organic food, they're getting food without added chemical pesticides. According to the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 2000, more than half of the $7.8 billion of organic food purchased in the United States was bought (Squires, 2004). There's wide agreement that organic crops have fewer pesticides. Also, organic foods may have some nutrients, mostly vitamin C. People use organic corn for the environment, and also people bring organic foods in conventional supermarkets. People can have many advantages and it is better for the environment to buy organic food. Currently about 30% of domestic corn is genetically engineered.

Third, Cargill is working toward making corn-produced clothes cheaply. In order to increase the worldwide production of natural products, Cargill Dow, appealing to people more as an eco-friendly business in the world, will work that is both good for the environment and meaningful. It is a fact that they made another announcement that they had opened a new $750 million factory; however, these products are creative and attractive at a time when we have a lot of environmental issues today. As another example, Cargill Dow planned to spend $300 million to build a factory to manufacture the new product (New York Times, 2000). The Cargill Dow factory opened in Nebraska, and hired 100 workers, and has an annual capacity of 140,000 metric tons. Now additional plans are to add in Europe and Asia, and company officials estimate the products could have annual sales of more than $1 billion within seven years. Their process is to extract large quantities from corn and crops and turn them into fibers for our clothes. Eventually they hope to mass market the product for use in clothing and carpets. The fibers are used for pillows, comforters, mattress pads, blankets, and clothing. Cargill Dow employs 230 people in Minnetonka, Minn., and in Blair, Neb; Cargill is based in Wayzata, Minn., and Dow Chemical is based in Midland, Mich (New York Times, 2005). Working toward making corn-produced clothes makes them a green company. Also Cargill Dow is well known for a commitment to environment and as developer of green technologies. These clothes are less expensive than other clothes and many eco-friendly brands. All the shirts are priced at less than $30. The rising cost of corn will have no effect on the apparel’s prices. They push casual clothing. Ingeo clothes were available only by phone, and the focus was on casual tops for men and women at that time (Ward, 2007). Generally, clothes shrink and colors fade, but clothes gain tensile strength after 50 or even 100 washes, too (Price, 2002). 
Not only the U.S. and other countries where people grow corn, but also Patagonia jumped at the new technology and spent years working with Cargill Dow on its development. Cargill Dow took advantage and considered business for consumers being “Cost competitive” with the worldwide production of natural products. For another example, Fujitsu, a Japanese company, has begun using the corn-based plastic in bits of its laptop computers. The computer’s environmentally friendliness may also win it more contracts from Japan’s government, which has a mandate to buy environmentally friendly products. Cargill Dow is included in groups such as environmental organizations, producers, and groups that are related to the environment, making more advertisements and displaying samples of their growth worldwide to help them. Making consumers pay attention to these products, telling about issues and environment impact is an eco-friendly business growing worldwide.

How is the environmental issue becoming a serious problem in the world and in your daily life? People still have solutions and advantages, even though people have serious environmental problems today. Cargill Dow creates products which are eco-friendly and made from renewable resources for a brighter future. Using natural resources instead of using oil in our clothes is helpful. Organic corn is much better than genetically engineered crops for the environment. Working to spread eco-business influences human beings and environmental impact all over the world. Yesterday’s corn is today’s clothes, which makes for a better tomorrow. Also, for the environment, using renewable resources is for a brighter future. This is a time to think that environment issues are becoming a serious problem in the world and in our daily lives. There are advantages which relate to the environmental issues today, so it is a very important idea and information to human beings. In the long term human beings need to find alternatives that can replace the nonrenewable plastics for future generations.


References

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